RIP Colonialist – The Last Post

Dear followers of my dad, Les Noble’s, blog.

It is with great sadness that I have to inform you of Les’ untimely passing on the 13th March after a supremely courageous battle with cancer. He was ill for some time, but nothing totally prepares you for the finality of death and we are struggling to come to terms with his loss. We couldn’t have asked for a more devoted husband, father and grandfather as I’m sure you’ve all witnessed from his regular posts on the achievements of his family. He derived so much pleasure from his Blog and all the wonderful people he corresponded with on it. Thank you all so much for your supportive comments and encouragement – sending off his regular posts was definitely his ”happy place” and one of the few things he could still do right at the end. He’s left us with such a wonderful legacy of amazing novels and beautiful compositions – he will surely remain in our hearts forever.

Fond regards

Robyn and family.

February Belatedly March-ed

So Feb, from clinging on, has moved on.

MBH came out of hospital yesterday, rather rickety but improved quickly. Unfortunately, more procedures are indicated.

Can’t find a suitable picture for this one – I don’t think a gore and guts one would be appreciated.

© February 2020 Colonialist

Never Rains . . .

It has rained all day. Even when I ventured out to get this photo of the success of my Rain Catcher it suddenly poured on me gleefully, catching me out in the open.

Another pouring thing is that Much Better Half has been in hospital all day to have a cyst drained. This, on top of all my own visits! She was admitted at the crack of dawn and then languished in bed for the whole day until late afternoon before the procedure was done. Why is it that the medical profession expects one to be on time, but never are themselves?

© February 2020 Colonialist

Swimmingly as a Gala Occasion

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Jeneva qualified to participate in the Top 8 Gala at her school yesterday, and in  spite of being a bit out-of-sorts she went like a bomb.

My great regret was that due to my health problems I was unable to watch. The trek to the pool is a fairly long one, and over uneven terrain.

She took part in every race for which she was eligible in her under-9 age group and achieved no lower than fourth in any of them out of eight swimmers; cheered on by a supportive sister.

Detailed results:

INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – SECOND;

5o METRE FREESTYLE – THIRD;

25 METRE BUTTERFLY – FOURTH;

25 METRE BACKSTROKE –  THIRD;

25 METRE BREASTSTROKE – FIRST;

100 METRES FREESTYLE – FOURTH.

These results gave her a medal for JOINT SECOND in the Gala.  I am one proud grandpoppy!

 

© February 2020 Colonialist

 

Too Maw Egg Skew Sis

I have two excuses for the recent absence – both self-sufficient.

One is that on Saturday I was re-admitted to hospital feeling grotty.

The second is that, also on Saturday, the internet and phones went down yet again and only returned today.

I had the runaround on Saturday. From every test and scan in the book to the High Care Ward and finally to the General Ward.  There I have been languishing since, watching far more TV features than is good for me. I did enjoy ‘How to Train your Dragon’. Toothless reminded me so of Blatt, our black cat,  with the same slitted eyes and evil look.

© February 2020 Colonialist

Unwelcome Hospitality

Here we went again: another day, another hospital.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This may seem welcoming enough, but the reality was that it was a rack of torture. Successive blood transfusions and no sleep for about 48 hours. Also, total incontinence requiring a nappy. Such fun! Let me see: what sounds go with that apparel? Oh, yes. ‘Wah, wah, wah, sob, sniffle!’

© Colonialist February 2020 

Times Increasingly Interesting

The wrongly-sourced curse of ‘interesting times’ (it is not Chinese but probably American) has certainly come upon us.

Most the past week has been spent in hospitals, clinics, doctors’ waiting rooms, or travelling from one to the other. One Specialist alone was three hours late in seeing us. Much Better Half is taking a turn as the invalid. The doctor found a massive tumour on her stomach area. The ultrasound and CAT scan make fascinating viewing.

Then a diagnosis of a cyst was arrived at, and she will go into hospital shortly for treatment. Malignancy is considered unlikely, thank heavens.

Today I was too weak to take the scheduled chemo, and am being booked into hospital for a blood transfusion.

Didn’t stop me from fitting some supports to the base of one of the swing uprights, though. With no way of going deep my theory is that burying horizontal supports will do the trick. We shall see when access to a suitable digger is gained.

© February 2010 Colonialist

Colonialist’s SONA 2020

(Everyone present to be greeted by name as a preamble including the team that cleans the toilets):

The State of the Nation is:

DIRE

It has been decided to rename the Provinces.

Each will become a mini-State.

There will be:

Sad State (or Sorry State),

State of Anarchy,

State of Confusion,

State of Corruption,

Lawless State,

Hopeless State,

Failed State,

Terrible State,

Dreadful State.

Would you like to venture which province is best represented by each new State?

Before the address, a group of members in funny dress will utter repetitive inanities to see how long they can delay the start. They are such nonentities  that this is the only way they hope to be noticed.

Their theme tune will be:

‘Send in the Clowns’

Yes, send in the clowns. ‘Maybe they’re here,’ for sure.

The unruly mob in their defiant boiler suits. They should use them for a good spell of manual labour.

February 2029 Colonialist

TOBOGGAN RIDE THAT COST +- ONE MILLION POUNDS

I am a dangerous person to be around, in that I am given to violins. The one I play most often is a run-of-the mill Suzuki:

My other one, that Rhiannon has been picking up the rudiments on, is something else.  Inscribed inside is

                                         ‘JOANNES BAPTISTA GUADAGNINI

                                                PLACENTINTUS MEDIALANI 1′

‘Guadagnini?’ So what?

Only, that research tells one that he was one of the top three luthiers in the world.

‘Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (often shortened to G. B. Guadagnini; 23 June 1711 – 18 September 1786) was an Italian luthier, regarded as one of the finest craftsmen of string instruments in history. He is widely considered the third greatest maker after Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri “del Gesù”.’

World famous violinist David Garrett (b David Bogartz 4/9/80 Aachen, Germany) noted for holding the Guinnes world record in playing ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ in 1 min 5.2 seconds 2015, had a love affair with a Guadagnini. He had been playing a borrowed Strad when he was offered the Guadagnini for the best part of one million pounds sterling. Regarding it as better than the Strad, he took out a loan and for a number of years a large part of every booking fee went to repaying it. It was finally his in December 2007.

Two weeks later, after a concert at the Barbican in London, he strapped the flimsy violin case onto his back and went to meet his brother, sister and parents in the car park. The steps were wet due to rain, and he went down the full flight on his back. The violin and case were crushed but saved him from injury. The horror of the loss was so great that he simply sat there for fifteen minutes, unable even to cry.

Eventually he was entranced by a Strad, even better than the Guadagnini, and that is now the violin played by him.

© February 2020 Colonialist

GRAVEL OVER; SHADECLOTH UNDER

During the time blogging and computers were not 0n the agenda, one of the garden projects undertaken was accomplished by reversing the usual order of shadecloth and gravel. The cloth prevents the gravel from burying itself in the sand base, and sufficiently careful edging makes it invisible, as seen.

© February 2020 Colonialist